1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus of managing data stored in a data storage unit, and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recording medium that records digital broadcasting signals has emerged. The recording medium includes a digital video cassette recorder (VCR), a hard disc drive (HDD), a recording device using an optical disc, and the like. With the rapid technology development, the recording capacity of the recording medium is increasing.
Digital TV receivers have come into wide use since digital broadcasting began in earnest. Nowadays the digital TV receivers providing various additional functions are emerging in response to users' various demands. A recording/reproducing apparatus, which is one of the noted additional functions of the digital TV, serves to record and reproduce a broadcasting program using a large-capacity recording medium, for example, an HDD. Unlike existing analog VCRs using tapes for storage, the digital recording/reproducing apparatus stores broadcasting programs, photographs, music, and the like in the form of digital data, so that image quality without loss of information may be ensured even if recording and reproducing are repetitively performed. Also, reproduction can be made whenever a user wants to watch a recorded program.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a general digital broadcasting recording/reproducing apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 1, the digital broadcasting recording/reproducing apparatus includes a tuner/demodulator 2 receiving a broadcasting signal from a transmission medium by wire or wirelessly and outputting digital data, a stream controller 4 controlling a transfer path of a data stream from the tuner/demodulator 2, a demultiplexer (DEMUX)/moving picture experts group (MPEG) decoder 6 connected to an output port of the stream controller 4, an MPEG memory 8 connected to the DEMUX/MPEG decoder 6, and an RAM 12, a CPU 14, a ROM 16, a user interface 18 and an HDD 20 connected to a system bus 10 in common.
Under control of the CPU 14 via the system bus 10, the tuner/demodulator 2 receives a broadcasting signal inputted through an input line 1 from a transmission medium, converts the broadcasting signal to a digital data stream, and outputs the digital data stream. Under control of the CPU 14 via the system bus 10, the stream controller 4 receives the data stream from the tuner/demodulator 2, and outputs the data stream to the HDD 20 for storage or to the DEMUX/MPEG decoder 6 for reproduction. Also, under control of the CPU 14, the stream controller 4 allows data stream stored in the HDD 20 to be outputted to the DEMUX/MPEG decoder 6 via the system bus 10 so that the data stream is reproduced. Under control of the CPU 14, the DEMUX/MPEG decoder 6 selects a data stream inputted from the stream controller 4, stores the selected data stream in an MPEG memory 8, reads and decodes the stored data stream using the MPEG method, and outputs the decoded data stream through an output line.
The CPU 14 performs a control operation in response to user command inputted from the user interface via the system bus 10. For example, the CPU 14 allows the tuner/demodulator 2 to convert a channel in response to user command, and allows the stream controller 4 to change a data stream transfer path. In addition, the CPU 16 allows the DEMUX/MPEG decoder 6 to select an input data stream in response to user command. The RAM 12 and the ROM 16 are used during the control operation of the CPU 14. As described above, the digital broadcasting recording/reproducing apparatus stores a received data stream using the HDD 20 and then reproduces the data stream, or stores the received data stream while reproducing it. For example, a broadcasting program broadcasted in real time is recorded on the HDD using functions of time shift, recording-reservation, instant reservation, or the like. A user can watch the recorded broadcasting program whenever he/she wants.
However, a storage medium of the digital broadcasting recording/reproducing apparatus has a limited capacity. For this reason, when a material is recorded, occupying certain capacity of the storage medium, it is impossible for the apparatus to keep recording the program because of lack of the storage capacity. To solve the lack of capacity, a user should manage recorded materials in person. For example, a user should select and delete a specific recorded material to provide a recording space for a new material.